


Absence of Evil, Absence of Good

by MikaOtter



Series: Two of a Kind [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Academic Decathlon Team, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different Powers, Alternate Universe - Power Swap, BAMF Michelle Jones, Ben Parker Dies, Dork Peter Parker, F/M, Getting to Know Each Other, Good Friend Ned Leeds, Mentioned Ben Parker, Michelle Jones Has Powers, Michelle Jones Is Spider-Man, Michelle Jones is a Little Shit, Michelle Jones-centric, Mutant Powers, Ned Leeds is a Good Bro, Not Spider-Man: Homecoming Compliant, Peter Parker Acts Like a Spider, Peter Parker Feels, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is Trying His Best, Peter Parker is a Mess, Peter Parker-centric, Pre-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Pre-Spider-Man: Far From Home (Movie), Pre-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Precious Peter Parker, Secret Identity, Spider-Man Interacting with New Yorkers, Teenage Dorks, Title from AJJ, Title from AJJ Song, Title from an AJJ Song, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Vigilante Michelle Jones, Worried Ned Leeds, couldnt be any kid in america, imagine knowing how to healthily expression emotion, sorta - Freeform, teen vigilantes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:55:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23321296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MikaOtter/pseuds/MikaOtter
Summary: If good is an absence of evil and evil's an absence of good, then there's an axis of evil rolling into this neighborhood (with the sound of gunshots)BANG, Pew, Pew.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When Peter's uncle laid dead, taken off in a body bag carried off by nurses- Peter's sense of self-preservation learned by an asthmatic lower class kid in Queens apparently died as well.Peter Parker along with Michelle Jones, local bright-minded, mysterious outcast, now gotta learn the ropes of the whole vigilante gig. Now the two high school freshman are exploring the uncharted territories of not only crime fighting and secret identities, but juggling their own health, lives, and the undefeatable challenge of high school as well.
Relationships: Michelle Jones & Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Michelle Jones & Ned Leeds & Peter Parker & Academic Decathlon Team (Spider-Man: Homecoming), Michelle Jones & Peter Parker, Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Academic Decathlon Team (Spider-Man: Homecoming)
Series: Two of a Kind [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1671004
Comments: 12
Kudos: 42





	Absence of Evil, Absence of Good

**Author's Note:**

> Ay this is part of a series! Last work explains origins 'n stuff! Though I suppose it's not entirely mandatory- Michelle basically got bit too and now they're two half-spider human disasters. 
> 
> Small trigger warning here for?? Mugging I guess? But also it references drugs? It's a drug deal gone wrong, basically.
> 
> The title comes from one of my favorite bands ever!! AJJ, the song in specific being "Bang Bang Bang" also known as "David J. Is a Sickness"  
> I'd so highly recommend listening to songs by them such as Body Terror Song, Your Voice as I remember it, Brave as a Noun, Distance and Little Red Boy! Expect more titles named after their songs haha let me know if anyone else is a big fan of them because sorry- i love their songs.. The chapter title's name is also from one of their songs, People II 2: Still Peoplin'

The Holidays were quieter than it had been Peter’s entire life. The funeral was just a small ceremony, a thrown together ceremony of what they could afford to do for him. It was hosted a week after the incident. Neither Peter nor May could find themselves speaking, or celebrating, or doing anything- let alone enjoying any sort of holiday.

While May spent any second not inconsolable on the phone, arguing over life insurance policies and so on, Peter spent most of his time in his room in isolation. Since the day, the only word Ned, MJ, or his team had received from the boy came from a text message sent to Michelle.

_You were right._

  
Michelle didn’t know that winning something could feel so bitter, until that message. She texted him. And texted him again, and called him, and messaged his geeky friend Ned. But all she got was absence and confusion. 

It was only a few days after the message that she found the reality of the situation. Rio was skimming through a newspaper in a shop and turned towards MJ, face pale. “Your friend’s last name is Parker, isn’t it?”

That was all that it took for Michelle to yank the papers from her adoptive mom’s hands, desperately her gaze flickered from word to word, before she noticed a small article. In honor of Benjamin Parker, brutally killed in front of his Nephew.

Michelle was silent the rest of the day. The moment her and the rest of the family had arrived home, she was right back out the door, mummering an excuse no one had to hear to know was false. That’s how she found herself sprinting down any alley way she could find until she entered the borough at an inhumane speed. She took a breath, as her gaze surveyed the village, desperately attempting to remember his apartment buildings.

  
Whipping out her phone, the girl texted two simple words to Ned: _Peter’s Apartment?_ The moment she found herself with the answer, she set her phone on mute, as her phone vibrated frantically with confused texts from the boy.

Yanking a purple hoodie she had within her drawstring bag, she shoved it over the top of her sweatshirt, yanking the hood tight over her face. Wisps of webbing formed around her finger tips, lacking the nearly magnetic ability Peter seemed to have.

She shot a web out of her wrist, lung to the fire escape of a certain boy, and began scaling the building. Clinging to the web like a robe with one hand, she pulled herself up with her other hand.

  
With a huff of effort, she flung her legs over the rails, and tapped on the glass.

Within the apartment was a bundle of blankets, what she assumed to be a human cocoon with a Peter at the center. Confirming the girl’s theory, a head with wavy hair popped up from underneath the comforter, eyes puffy like he had been crying.

The boy untangled himself from the series of blankets, making his way to the fire escape window. Yanking it opened, the girl was met with a half-lidded, exhausted expression she’s never seen the boy wear.

“What do you want?” His voice cracked slightly, his arms crossed as he dug his nails into the thick sleeves of his baggy sleep shirt, attempting to keep himself grounded.

One of the last things the boy had wanted was to be confronted, or talk, or do..Anything. He wasn’t completely oblivious, after all. Peter knew she knew. But he attempted to keep his temper level. _It’s not her fault I was so, so wrong,_ he couldn't help but to think.

Taking a moment to breathe, Michelle eventually spoke. “We were all worried, Peter. This isn’t..This isn’t shit easy to go through. I know.” The girl picked her words carefully, trained eyes surveying him.

Peter’s lips pressed together, and he gave a barely noticeable nod. “I’m..I’m fine.” He croaked. “We can..We should go back to training- I...I think I have an idea of how to make my own webs-” His voice continued shakily, before being cut off by the curly haired visitor. “No, you’re not worrying about this right now, Peter.” She stared intensely at him, attempting to convey her seriousness.

“You don’t need to be so go-go-go. Just..Stop. I’ll listen to all that nerd crap when you find yourself ready to come back to school.” She watched his expression carefully, as he hesitantly nodded, not meeting her gaze. “Take care of yourself, Parker. Got it?” “Got it..” He rasped, his arms falling to his side.

The two stood in their places quietly for a moment, before Michelle inhaled, pulling herself to her limbs before flipping over the rails and descending the building, leaving Peter to piece himself back together. 

_I’m fine,_ he thought. _I don’t deserve to mourn. It’s my fault. I can’t have the same failure twice._

Roughly wiping away his tears, he wobbled to his desk where a dismantled Nerf gun sat, loose pieces of notebook paper scattered amungst the parts. “C’mon, Peter. This can’t wait..” Peter sobered up, pulling his messy designs closer.

* * *

  
  


Two months, one and a half weeks. That’s what it took for Ned Leeds’ best friend to readjust to his estranged life. Peter Parker has most definitely hasn’t been this content, since the day. Not that he had at all blamed Peter for his behavior, no, he knew Peter has had a rocky life. That didn’t stop Peter from feeling infinitely guilty for the ride of chaos he’s taken his best friend on.

First, it was introducing Michelle “Call-Me-MJ” Jones, stoic stalkerish badass to their friendship dynamic- making the duo a very odd trio. Next, it was quitting all the clubs he was previously in leaving Ned stranded without him. Then was stumbling into class, half asleep with the largest bags under his eyes that Ned had ever seen, and what he thinks to be bruises and scratches fading by lunch time. Topping that all off with having to cover him sneaking out at night, telling his frantic aunt the blatant lie at least once a week that her nephew was staying over late to study? That, well, that’s when it became concerning.

It was the first period. Ned was side eyeing the clock in anticipation- Peter, despite all these oddball behaviors as of late, has not shown up late for class before. They were in the middle of attendance, having just gotten to the “P” names. Two names before it would be Peter’s call, the door swung open at an alarming speed, a sheepish Peter on the other end.

  
“Um- I’m..I’m sorry if I’m late, Ms. Walters..” The teacher sighed, rubbing her temple. “You’re a good student, Peter. But had you shown up a minute later..” She trailed off, eyeing the boy as he frantically nodded his head. “I- Yeah, I’m sorry..” He muttered, slouching into himself as he scurried over towards his lab station.

As he secured the safety goggles over top himself, Ned instinctively surveyed the boys for wounds, noting a yellowish fading bruise painted on his neck, halfway healed despite definitely not being there the day before.

“Pete, are you okay?” Ned whispered, his brows knitted together in worry as he eyed his best friend.

Peter was sitting at the desk, staring ahead nearly blankly, half asleep before his head snapped towards Ned.”I’m- Yeah.. I’m doing just fine, I think. ‘M just tired, is all..” He sniffed, itching at his jacket’s sleeve. 

“You have a bruise on your neck, Man.” Ned quietly persisted. “You can tell me if something’s happening, dude.” Ned locked eyes with the other teen, as the brunette sunk down slightly, tearing his gaze away. “I know- It’s fine. If..If I could tell you, I would.”

That _definitely_ didn’t make Ned feel any better. “Are you at least safe?” Peter was silent for a moment, before hesitantly nodding. “I am, I’m fine. Promise.”

Ned sighed, nodding. “Just stay safe and out of trouble, bro..” Peter continued measuring out chemicals. “I’ll try.” Peter whispered uncommittedly. That’s all Ned could ask for, then.

* * *

Peter flipped off the roof, quietly scaling down the building as he neared the mugging.

“Where the fuck is the money” A man snarled at a woman bordering on tears. “I promise, promise, promise i’ll get it to you! I’m sorry! I’m-” The man cut her off, wrapping his hands around her throat as he forced her against the wall. “You’ll give me what you have now.”

_Thwip, thwip_ was all that could be heard before the man was roughly ripped away from the woman, a shiny coating of webbing splattering him against the wall. “Sir, i’m afraid this ma’am isn’t an ATM,” He remarked, a cheeky smile visible beneath the red mask, the blue-red hooded figure huffed with effort as he kicked off the wall, landing wobbly to his feet.

“That was cheesy even for you, web-head.” A voice chimed in from the side of the wall. The woman’s heartbeat skipped and her head shot over towards the voice- a long-legged girl was couched on the wall, seamlessly holding herself up with her hands clung against the wall, a glistening white, silky material attached to her hands were visible from her fingerless black gloves before she leapt down.

“Are you alright, ma’am? If you are uninjured, then call the authorities and book it. Got it?” The girl- taller than the boy, slouched. The white lens, identical to her partner’s, masked her eyes as she stared at the woman with an air of nonchalance.

The woman nodded frantically, and the masked girl leapt nine feet into the air, directly over the head of her, and clung to the brick wall. A thwipping noise rang from the boy’s wrist, and seconds later he was crouched on the fire escape beside the girl. “I hope you are well, Ma’am! Please, keep safe-” The boy was cut off by the sound of a police siren. The girl nodded to the other vigilante, and they fled the scene.

Peter sighed, slouching in on himself as he thwipped building to building, MJ jogging along the rooftops. After they were well out of view from the scene,he shot a web to rooftop access door protruding from the top of the building, and he leapt from his position. He swung in a swift motion, stumbling to his feet by the edge of the building.

Exhaling a breath of relief, Peter turned towards MJ. “There is a ..Definite learning curve.” he murmured, tearing the mask from his head and pushing down his hood as he ran a hand through his hair.

Michelle raised a brow. “The swinging, or the crime stopping?” She remarked dully, flopping herself onto her back as she rolled down her black medical mask blocking the bottom half of her face. “Why not both?” He muttered, leaning against the stairwell. She rolled her eyes. “ ‘uhh sir i’m afraid she isn’t an ATM!’ really, Parker? That’s all you could come up with?”

With a pout, Peter gave the girl his trademarked puppy eyes. “That wasn’t that horrible! C’mon, that was good and you know it.” MJ scoffed. “There wasn’t a single thing about that funny! Work on your quip game, nerd. God, I don’t know how you get Abe to think you’re hilarious.”

At that, Peter beamed. “Ooh! Are you finally starting to warm up to our teammates?” Peter cooed. The teen sat up straight at that, cr to glare coldly at him. “Absolutely not, and aren’t you one to talk? All you do is eye up Liz all day!”

The boy threw his hands up in defense. “Wh- N-No! No I don’t!”

The girl snickered, with a wolfish smirk, as she crossed her legs.“Oh, yes, yes you do. “ She crossed her arms, as Peter didn’t meet her gaze.

Before either would have the chance to speak again, their heads shot up, turning towards the sound of distant car horns blaring. “Sounds like it’s gonna be a busy day,” Michelle remarked, uncrossing her as she sat up, the webby residue substance forming on her hands as she masked herself.

“Beat’cha to it?” Peter offered, yanking down his red ski mask. MJ cockily tilted her head. “As if.” And with that, leapt off the building. Peter rushed to the edge in time to see her organic webbing clung to the bottom of a fire escape, with the vigilante seven feet below clung to it like a vine before repeating the process with the next building. “Oh, it’s on.” He grumbled, painting on a smile before leaping down and following the girl.

**Author's Note:**

> comments,, pls.. i am,, creacher and i strive with communication and validation


End file.
